Dealing with a neighbor’s barking dog

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Curious how folks here would handle this.

A family moved in behind us several months ago. Increasingly they are leaving their two dogs out more and more and at this point when the dogs are outside they are barking at least 90% of the time. I think they are barking out of pure boredom. They bark at movement from other neighborhood dogs, squirrels, people half a block away, and many times nothing at all.

The family seems oblivious but we were thinking maybe they weren’t home to hear them, or something else. It has gotten exponentially worse the last two weeks.

Curious what everyone’s approach would be.

 

[Dr. Nole]

Ugh...we’ve been through a similar situation.
Could try a nicely worded letter signed “from your neighbors”...maybe they will take it well and move the dogs inside.
Of course if they are rude/clueless enough to leave the barking dogs outside in the 1st place then who knows how they will respond.

 

[squiffynole]

It's a dilemma. The standard advice is to share the problem with the family in a friendly way. The sneaky approach is to instigate neighbors to do it for you.
Worse case is complaining to the HOA.

Procrastination can work - we had a similar problem with a new neighbor's hollowing dog and it stopped how I do not know.

 

[funksouljon]

I'd start with the neighbors. Ours had the issue and they wouldn't even come to the door to discuss. I left a note for them and nothing changed. They continued to avoid.

After the second visit by animal control, they started bringing the dogs in.

Keep in mind, this neighbor called and reported me for parking my truck + trailer facing the wrong direction on my curbing while I was unloading the trailer of sod so screw 'em when I ratted them out.

 

[LesClaypool]

Kill one of the dogs. It will send a message to the second dog to stop barking.

 

[Fijimn]

You make them an offer that they can't refuse.

 

[seminole97]

Kill one of the dogs. It will send a message to the second dog to stop barking.

Definitely works on Great Whites.

 

[RunRonnieRun]

Our backyard backs up to our tennis club, and our dog will go out, bark for 5-10 minutes, then get bored and do whatever else she does in the yard. Apparently this is terribly burdensome to the tennis players at the club, and one day they left an anonymous and vaguely threatening note in my mailbox about it (on Watergate Hotel stationery, no less). All that inspired me to do what become an expert on nuisance barking laws in my area so I could ensure that I was operating within the letter of the law (which we were, but that's neither here nor there).

A couple of months later, one of the players texted me, having gotten my number from the club directory. He was very nice about it, didn't hide behind a veil of anonymity, and because he had a good attitude I was encouraged to try and curb the barking a bit. I see this guy around the neighborhood now and ask how it's going for them, as we have a pretty big yard and can't always hear when she's barking.

I also regularly ask my neighbors if the barking ever disturbs them and have made it clear that they should call or text me any time it does.

Point being, it's a two-way street. It's beyond me how a bit of barking could bother a tennis match, but since they cut it out with their spy-like tactics I want to make improvements for them.

 

[osceola74]

Put one of the “House For Sale by Neighbors” sign in their yard.

 

[NDallasRuss]

Sneak over late at night and open one of the gates. When the neighbors let the dogs out the next morning they'll slip through the gate and run off. The dogs clearly are barking because they want to be free - oblige them.

 

[DFSNOLE]

I'd start with the neighbors.

This. The great majority of the time it's an issue of bad humans more than bad dogs.

 

[ericram]

Set up speakers and blast some heavy metal or Beethoven until they stop.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

All good thoughts, thanks.

So here’s what happened - Christmas morning they let their dogs out about 7:30 and they barked for about 20 minutes, then on and off the rest of the morning. After we open presents and we’re cleaning up about 1030am they put their dogs out and they barked for nearly 30 minutes straight.

I put on my shoes walked around the block to their front door prepared to have a nice “Hi neighbor, not sure you’re aware and I’m sure you’re working on it but is there anything that we can do to help etc etc” chat.

As I ring their doorbell the dogs are going nuts - he comes to the door and I realize there’s several adults sitting in the house chatting away completely ignoring their dogs barking their tails off on on the back porch. At that moment my friendly chat plans went out the door and I let him have it. I didn’t go full-Ranger, but was pretty pissed off.

He first tried to say they weren’t out all that much and I called bs on that. Then he said well we’ll try to work on it but not sure there’s much we can do. (To DFS’ point, clearly just crappy dog owners). I told him then you need to just bring them inside the house because they’re driving the neighborhood crazy with their nonstop barking. He was somewhat apologetic and they’ve actually been quiet for the last two days. Not sure it will last or if my house will get egged or worse at some point but at least we have some temporary peace.

 

[NolesofWrath]

All pretty sound ideas, though it’s not the dogs fault, it’s the dumb as@ owners fault. Some people are so oblivious to what goes on around them or they just don’t care. They’ll let their dogs run the streets, poop in your yard and not have the decency to clean it up, let them bark all hours, etc. And it’s little issues like this that can escalate into bigger deals. Common courtesy seems to be a lost virtue in todays society.

 

[NoleLizards]

Curious how folks here would handle this.

A family moved in behind us several months ago. Increasingly they are leaving their two dogs out more and more and at this point when the dogs are outside they are barking at least 90% of the time. I think they are barking out of pure boredom. They bark at movement from other neighborhood dogs, squirrels, people half a block away, and many times nothing at all.

The family seems oblivious but we were thinking maybe they weren’t home to hear them, or something else. It has gotten exponentially worse the last two weeks.

Curious what everyone’s approach would be.

Just curious myself as to why Dan Mullen is your avatar pic.

 

[Urban Cryer]

Hot dogs marinated in antifreeze. Just sayin.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Hot dogs marinated in antifreeze. Just sayin.

I did give that some thought before going over there. I would hate for him to chuck something over my fence and kill my dog.

 

[NoleLizards]

I did give that some thought before going over there. I would hate for him to chuck something over my fence and kill my dog.

Laxatives wouldn't be fatal but may get the point across....

 

[totallynot321Nole]

Invest in directional speakers and a microphone, place microphone near where dogs bark, aim the speakers at said neighbor's window, crank volume to 11.

https://www.explainthatstuff.com/directional-loudspeakers.html

 

[NolesofWrath]

Invest in directional speakers and a microphone, place microphone near where dogs bark, aim the speakers at said neighbor's window, crank volume to 11.

https://www.explainthatstuff.com/directional-loudspeakers.html

Hey. It worked on Noriega in Panama. It surely will on a nuisance neighbor.

 

[NoleLizards]

Hey. It worked on Noriega in Panama. It surely will on a nuisance neighbor.

Try this...

 

[GoNolesTX]

Had the issue before I put my house on the market and moved to an apartment. Serious issue at 11p when I was trying to go to sleep.

I kept an airhorn by my back door. Any time those little yappy dogs started going to town after 11, I'd just go and let out a couple of honks of that airhorn and all the neighbors "remembered" they had dogs in their yards while investigating who had an airhorn.

 

[OrlandNole]

Kill one of the dogs. It will send a message to the second dog to stop barking.

We've discussed this ad nauseum. It's the not the dog's fault. OP - clearly, you must kill your neighbor.

 

[LesClaypool]

We've discussed this ad nauseum. It's the not the dog's fault. OP - clearly, you must kill your neighbor.

There are some exceptions, but I don’t generally care why a child does something wrong...We can figure out the “why” later. I first and foremost want the bad behavior to stop. So it is w/nuisance dogs.

Kill the dog(s), OP.

 

[NolesofWrath]

Take out an ad and run it for two weeks where you know that people will look at it. Advertise yard sale, open house, something to that effect. State that it will run certain back to back dates. Put a disclaimer on there that you have to knock at the door due to look at the times, etc. Cover your tracks, pay cash, use fake name.

 

[seminoleed]

Go to any local Petco or something like it and buy a small vial of animal tranquilizers. Put a pill in a small raw hamburger meatball and throw it over the fence when the barking starts. Works every time.

 

[62Nole]

Have any good friends that are Korean chefs?

 

[NoleinATL]

Had a similar issue with an estate that backed up to the servants quarters. The constant barking caused sleepless nights which resulted in a great deal of stress as the work needed to maintain my estate dropped to unacceptable levels.

After failed attempts of civility , I had someone on staff purchase a bark canceling device, mounted it to back wall and barking immediately stopped. The only advice I would offer is make sure you train your dogs , to using , as they will go crazy when the device is initiated.

 

[More Kirk Less Spock]

I'd try talking to them, but maybe that's just crazy.

 

[NDallasRuss]

I'd try talking to them, but maybe that's just crazy.

 

[62Nole]

New book with movie to follow...................."The Dog Whisperer"

 

[DFSNOLE]

Had a similar issue with an estate that backed up to the servants quarters. The constant barking caused sleepless nights which resulted in a great deal of stress as the work needed to maintain my estate dropped to unacceptable levels.

After failed attempts of civility , I had someone on staff purchase a bark canceling device, mounted it to back wall and barking immediately stopped. The only advice I would offer is make sure you train your dogs , to using , as they will go crazy when the device is initiated.

Free Spirit, is that you?

 

[Seminolejon78]

I'd try talking to them, but maybe that's just crazy.

Not sure the dogs will understand.

 

[GoNolesTX]

Not sure the dogs will understand.

Gold, Jerry, that's gold!

 

[ThatoneguyNole]

Antifreeze will quiet them..

 

[SeaPA]

I have no advice for OP, but I do have a somewhat related, classic, father-in-law story.

My wife’s family had a German Shepherd. Their back yard was fenced in with a nice combo of rock wall and privacy fence. Behind them were some lousy neighbors - loud music, late parties, drove my FIL nuts. Then they got a couple of yappy little dogs that they left out in the yard often. One night, FIL couldn’t take the yapping any more & called the cops. A while later, couple of cops show up at in-laws door, where the following conversation takes place.
FIL, Good evening officers.
Cop, Hi. We got an anonymous call from someone in the neighborhood about dogs barking, and found it coming from your back yard neighbors house.
FIL, Yeah, it was me that called. Their damn dogs never stop.Can you do something?
Cop, Well, we went to their house, and they brought us to their back yard. The problem seems to be that YOUR dog has chewed a hole in your privacy fence, and has his head stuck. Their dogs are yapping at yours. Apparently my wife’s little brother had let their dog out in the back without letting their dad know, and FIL didn’t go check to see what was going on before calling the cops.

So OP, maybe check on your dog first.

 

[seminole97]

One night, FIL couldn’t take the yapping any more & called the cops. A while later, couple of cops show up at in-laws door...

Well, that turned out differently than most of the police/dog stories I read online...

 

[Godzillaaa]

I had a similar problem and did the same thing as a poster above. We’re friends with our neighbor but their pitbull barked at us whenever we were in our own back yard, or at our dogs when they were outside. It was extremely aggravating. So I went to amazon and bought one of those sonic bark things that goes off when it hears barks. Turned it up to full sensitivity and put it on the gate facing the neighbors yard. Worked like a charm but eventually the dog built up a tolerance for it. It did curb it some. If I had to do it again I’d buy about 3 of them and turn them all on at once. The dogs hate the sound it makes and you can’t hear it.

 

[seminoleed]

I have no advice for OP, but I do have a somewhat related, classic, father-in-law story.

My wife’s family had a German Shepherd. Their back yard was fenced in with a nice combo of rock wall and privacy fence. Behind them were some lousy neighbors - loud music, late parties, drove my FIL nuts. Then they got a couple of yappy little dogs that they left out in the yard often. One night, FIL couldn’t take the yapping any more & called the cops. A while later, couple of cops show up at in-laws door, where the following conversation takes place.
FIL, Good evening officers.
Cop, Hi. We got an anonymous call from someone in the neighborhood about dogs barking, and found it coming from your back yard neighbors house.
FIL, Yeah, it was me that called. Their damn dogs never stop.Can you do something?
Cop, Well, we went to their house, and they brought us to their back yard. The problem seems to be that YOUR dog has chewed a hole in your privacy fence, and has his head stuck. Their dogs are yapping at yours. Apparently my wife’s little brother had let their dog out in the back without letting their dad know, and FIL didn’t go check to see what was going on before calling the cops.

So OP, maybe check on your dog first.

What a great story--that's so unrealistic it HAS to be true. LMAO.